Annealing box



Oct. 2l, 1941. K, J, DEAHL l v2,260,214

ANNEALING BOX Filed Aug. 8, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 l, Patented Oct.v 2l, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE i mmzamtlsnox l i xennetn'r. nenn, Pittsburgh, n.. mignonto Pittsburgh Annealing Box Com muy, PlsbnrginPa., a corporation of Pennsylvania application Amm s, :1940, serial No. 351,847

(c1.zss4s) 3 Claims.l

My invention relates to annealing boxes, and while it is hereinafter described as employed in connection with boxes formed of sheet metal, it is to be understood that the invention can be embodied also in. annealing boxes of the cast type.

annealing box of such form that, for a given weight or gauge af metal, it will have greater strength and resistance to undesirable deformation and, therefore, will be serviceable. for a greater number of heats than will boxes of other forms.

Another objectof my invention is to provide in connection withan annealing box, means for stiflening the lower edge thereof to resist tendency of the side walls of the box to bend or be One object of my invention is to provide -an i deformed in a vertical direction through the more rapid heating and consequent earlier expansi'on of the upper' portion of the box when in a furnace.

. Still another object of my invention is to provide means: for resisting lateral shifting or bowing of the lower edge of the box through uneven rate of heating of the box, andv to maintain such lower edge in proper alignment with a ments; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on the line lIlII--IIII of Fig. 2, andFig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the under structure of the box, on an enlarged scale.

The box comprises sheet metal plates forming its top and sides that are welded where they abut together at the corners of the box and have oppositely-projecting corrugations or channels 2 and 3 in the walls of the box, the topof the box being also of corrugated channel form whose channels 4 and 5 are aligned at their ends with the chnnels2 and 3 respectively, in the side walls. The adjacent ends of the channels 2 and 4 are closed by and connected together by triangular flller members 8 formed of metal plates that are welded to the ends of the channels, the members i being provided with end closures 1. Fig.y 1a `shows a blank of convenient form for use in making these elements.

Plates or strips I0 and II that extend lengthwise of the box are welded to the'lower ends of the channel portions 2 and 3 with suiilcient tightness to prevent any access of furnace gases past these lower edges of the box. Plates or strips I2 are similarly welded to the lower edgesA walls of the stiffening members to .permit movev ment of air and thus lavoiding excessive presvide a flexible line of juncture between the sides Y and top of the box, so that the length of the top edges ofthe side walls may change relative to the bottom edge, without excessively stressing the bottom edges of the box.

A further object of my invention is to decrease the tendency of boxes to hump or rise in the center portion, by a combination of a rigid lower edge, a flexible fiuting in the side and top walls and the junction thereof and Amovement-limiting members across the open or bottom edge, the whole functioning in common with the weight of the box to cause expansion strains to be absorbed in the flexible-fiuting, with low stresses.

In the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of an annealing box embodying my invention; Fig. la is a view showing a blank sure within the stiffening members upon heating of the box to annealing temperatures. Longitudinally-extending metal strips I6 are welded in the V-shaped elementsv I3 and Il to brace and stiften the same, the welding preferably being discontinuous at one or more points, in order to permit some movement of air betweenthe space at the lower side of the strips I6 and the space at the upper side thereof. The ends of the members I3 and il have plates Il welded thereto to close such ends and to provide additional strength. The welding of the plates I'I can be sumciently discontinuous as to provide "breathing openings for the members I3 and Il. Stiffening members I8 are welded to the under sides of the strip I2 at the ends of the box, and are of the same form as the members I 3 and Il. The extremities of the members I8 are shaped to llt against the adjacent sloping sides of the -members I3 and i4, and are weldd thereto.

The box is shown as mounted upon a furnace which is used in forming one of the box ele- 55 hearth or base 20 of any suitable form, and is provided with the usual sand troughs 2|. The hearth 20 is provided with a number of upstanding pillars or bosses 22 which serve to support ing the edges of the box relative to thev sand Y troughs.

In order to further stiften the lower edges of the box, and to prevent accumulation of sand upon the upper surfaces of the platesI i@ and il,

' I weld deector plates 25 and 21, to the upper sides of the Plates Il and Il, and within the vertically-extending channels of ythe box body, so that sand which would otherwise accumulate upon the plates lll-and 'I I, will slide of! when the box is lifted from the sand. l

It will be seen that not only are the members i3, I4 and I8 of such form that they will readily enter the sand, but that they,- together with the plates I0 and -II and the strips I6, serve to eil'ectively reinforce the lower edge of the box against distortion, notwithstanding the 4rapid heating of the upper portion' of the box relative to the edge thereof which is in the sand seal. This matter -of overcoming excessive distortion of an annealing box is important, since the relative rapid heatingl of the upper portion of the 'box expands the same, tending to cause the side Walls of the "box to arch'and also causing compressive strains on the lower edge `portions of the box, which tends to cause bowing thereof both laterally and vertically. The strains in the sides and top oi the box, which tend to cause bowing and permav nent distortion, are largely relieved by reason of the continuous channel or flute arrangement that extends up the sides and across the top-each series of elements 2, 8 and E constituting in effect a continuous channel from one bottom edge of particularly because of the channel arrange-v ment 6 at the corners.

It will be understood that the stiening chan# l nels i3 and It may be of other cross-sectional contours than those shown in the drawings, it being desirable, however, to have them taper downwardly in order that they may enter-the sand readily. Also, the upper portion of the box may have its nutes of corrugated or triangular form instead oi channel form asshown in the drawings.

I claim as my invention:

l. An annealing box open at its lower side, stillening elements secured to the lower edges of the box and extending longitudinally thereof, and tie bars each having recessed ends for receiving the stiiening elements at opposite sides' of the box,-

the said recesses and stiiening elements being of generally V-form in vertical crosssection.

2. An annealing box open at its lowerside and having corrugations or the like which terminate at the 'box edges at said side, vstiifening elements secured to and bridging the said extremities ,of

porting and aligning the lower edges of thebox within a sand trough,comprising a tie strip. extending crosswise of the box, with its intermediate portion extending to a plane above the .4.0 lowermost edge of the box and with its ends bent to partially embrace the longitudinal edges of the box.

toward the lateral KENNETH J. DEAHL. 

